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Friday, May 6, 2011

Friday night grateful moment

ridays are generally pretty good around here... the start to the weekend, bits and piece of getting ready for a day of rest and relaxation (gotta work before you can slack, right?), the end of business (husband) and business-lite/like (me) activities, and anticipation of family time (joy!).

This Friday is no exception, with the added bonus of a day off from school. That snow day I was always dreaming of this winter? Well, apparently it has been on the calendar all along and I never knew it. Today is the "make up" snow day--meaning IF they had needed to cancel school earlier this year, they would have gone to school today to compensate. No snow day then = now we get a day off! Happy Seth, happy mom.

Happy me, grateful me...

I am very grateful we had a wonderful day of sun this week. I know, how pathetic that it's DAY, singular, lonely. But right now, I'll take it. I guess if you count last Sunday, it was two days... I'm just grateful for every piece of warmth we get right now. The weekend looks like it's going to be pretty pathetic, warmth-wise, so we'll just cling to the hope that more sun is ahead... somewhere... (Tuesday's looking good on my weather app...)

I'm grateful that a few little tweaks to the schedule means more Seth time in May. I am *always* grateful for that.

I'm grateful for a son who is learning more every day about how people stuff works, what role each of us can play in getting along (or not, and how sometimes that not getting along is a-ok), and how to dig deep for resilience. Stuff that will take the young man quite a ways into his future. (Middle school sucks, you remember that, right?)

It was Teacher Appreciation Week this week, and I am grateful for the teachers who have challenged, encouraged, nudged and accepted Seth this year. I do feel so lucky for the teachers he's had so far in his educational experience, and am hopeful that his high school teachers will continue that tradition, as well.

I'm grateful for asparagus. Yum. I feel like that's my one lone spring treat so far... and I'm very much enjoying it! Here are a couple of asparagus images/recipes that I'm looking to try, soon.

I'm grateful for pancakes and syrup. Maple syrup, lots of maple syrup. I'm grateful for the two boys downstairs eating those pancakes, and their enduring friendship. Singletons who find other singletons to hang out with have a special bond, and I'm so glad Seth and Jake have each other.

I heard a couple of lovely ladies talk to a room full of people about self-doubt, stepping over your fears, and encouraging each other to live our best selves. This is language that seems to exist everywhere currently (hello, Oprah?), but it was fresh and personal coming from two life-long best friends, with stories and examples of other moms and their experiences... it was inspiring, and reminded me of how grateful I am to have had encouragement and support from friends and family over the years. I don't take for granted--at all--the fact that I don't have to pull myself out of bed each morning with a ton of positive self-talk. I do believe I am enough (with a heaping helping of grace); I don't know exactly how that's come to be, but I'll take it.(Which is not to say I don't have my moments of insecurity and self-doubt and even a bit of wallowing and poor-me-ing. Believe me, I do. But by and large, I can find my way back to center, and after a few deep breaths and even more prayer, I'm usually good to go.)

I have been having (maybe a little too much) fun with Pinterest, and all the visuals there. I'm grateful that someone thought up this system for tracking and cataloging images. It's a serious cornucopia of delights, and it's just a matter of figuring out ways to categorize and group the images. Seeing all the pretties I've pinned in a just a few weeks, I wonder how it will be in a year, or two, and all the images I'll have then. Kind of makes me smile.

Those are all pinned to a board I created called "Just Plain Cute," which, I know, opens me up to immense ridicule and "Gee, that looks like a valuable way to spend your time, Sher." But I will let those comments roll off my back and at some future time, if you're really lucky, I'll give you a taste of my "Things I Want to Make" board, and it will make your head spin. It makes MY head spin, in a good way. So many fun, creative, clever ideas. I am indeed grateful for all the creative minds out there.

I am grateful for friends who exemplify this saying: "A friend is one to whom one may pour out all the contents of one's heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away." I have those kinds of friends, indeed. (Side note: I had always thought this was a George Eliot quote. But tonight I found it listed as an Arabian proverb, by a Dinah Maria Mulock Craik and by Unknown. Hmmm. After this week and the MLK Jr. quote-heard-round-the-world kafluffle, I am wary as can be with attributing anything to anyone. George may have lost himself a quote...)

I'm grateful for a husband who takes Seth out Mother's Day shopping, who models for him what thoughtfulness and kindness look like. I love the image I conjure up in my mind of the two of them at the card section at WalMart... my sweet guys.

I am grateful for this weekend. Even as I listen to the pitter pat of raindrops on the deck (I kid you not, I feel like we live in Seattle--no offense, dear Seattle people), I can feel the week washing away...

I love the food photos... and would like to experience the delight of such nourishment. Just wish we were closer so that sometimes we might catch a few crumbs from your table.

This Pinterest thing looks very interesting... but you are zooming along and really getting into it. Sounds wonderful. Can you show us first hand later this month when you come to Canada?

When you get over the hill it seems like we are picking up speed. Everything happens so fast... kind of like what happens when you come off the Blue Mountain ridge. So many new things are flying around us it is hard to know what to grab on to when one foot is on the brake and the other wants to let her rip!

And isn't Pinterest fun? I need to remind myself to start spending time there looking at other's pins- I forget it's a community and not just a service.

Oh, and middle school- one thing I am very grateful is that we have friends who are both middle school teachers and every time we see them we eventually get around to talking about kids at that age. They have enlightened me SO much about that, and even though Gracie is only five, I am not going to be completely stampeded by those years. I know it will be a challenge and nothing like I expect, but at least I am somewhat prepared.

It's so great Seth has teachers that aren't just shuffling him along, but taking the time to see through the storm of that age.